Describe your charity/non-profit/volunteer work in a few sentences.

At Yonge Street Mission (YSM), we recognize each and every one of the 500,000 people experiencing poverty in Toronto has immense value. As a local development agency, all our resources and energy are focused on responding to immediate needs, while also helping community members move from surviving to thriving. We believe if we combine our collective resources and wisdom, together we can achieve our vision of ending chronic poverty in Toronto in a generation.

What problem does it aim to solve?

At Yonge Street Mission we are working to end chronic poverty in Toronto in a generation. To do this, we offer holistic programs and a pathway to transform the lives of people living with poverty in Toronto. Our goal is to break the cycle of entrenched poverty that is keeping people from meeting their potential.

When did you start/join it?

I started at YSM in June 2016

What made you want to get involved?

I learned of YSM’s goal to end chronic poverty and was intrigued. At first, I believed the goal to be too big, and too audacious. But after meeting the president and CEO, Angie Peters for coffee one afternoon, I was completely drawn in. Angie said one thing to me that convinced me that I wanted to join this movement. She said “What other goal is there than to work toward the end of chronic poverty? Should we just work to make life a little bit better for someone today, only to welcome them back into the mission tomorrow? No, the only goal we should be striving for, is to end their experience of poverty. If we do our work right, we can achieve it”.

What was the situation like when you started?

The plan was just beginning when I arrived. YSM’s theory of change was in its infancy, our staff was just beginning to implement the program and service changes that would lead to the outcomes we were seeking for our community. We had just launched a measurement and evaluation tool that would ensure the work we were doing was in fact meeting our goals and aspirations. We were at the starting line of a very big and ambitious goal. It was a season of intense change which came with equal parts hope and apprehension.

How has it changed since?

We are seven years in and going strong! We have countless stories of people whose lives have been positively transformed. We have also learned a lot. Our measurement and evaluation tool has allowed us to see what is working well, what needs adjusting and how to best invest our time and resources. For example, our data has shown us that investing in certain parts of a person’s life – things such as system navigation – effectively improves one’s sense of power and self-esteem. We have learned that once that occurs, other parts of a community member’s life improve in turn. They achieve their goals faster and feel a stronger sense of power and a healthier worldview. This is what we now affectionately call our “secret sauce”.

What more needs to be done?

We need to keep going! We also need to partner with others. Ending chronic poverty is not something YSM is doing alone. We partner with others – agencies, government, neighbourhoods and people like you and me – who share in our belief and desire to end the cycle of poverty in Toronto. Everyone has a role to play! What special skill or experience do you have that might help a community member in need? Could you become a tutor to a young student, a mentor to a new Canadian or help someone seeking employment with their resume? Even a small action today can have a ripple effect on generations that follow. What do you have to give?

How can our readers help?

YSM can help you figure out how you can be part of the solution. There are so many ways to get involved! You may choose to become a monthly donor to help fund our work. You can donate your gently used clothing to our thrift store. You can follow us on social media. You can bring your team of colleagues to YSM for a fun team-building day where you can see our work in action. Call our volunteer resources department today to see how your unique skills or experience can help a community member in need. The first step is to call us. We can help you from there!

Do you have any events coming up?

Another way you can help this upcoming season is to support our Christmas Toy Market for Regent Park children. You can donate a new, unwrapped toy to the Market to make the holiday season bright for children in our community this year. You can find out more on our website.

Where can we follow you?

Website | Facebook | Instagram

PAY IT FORWARD: What is an awesome local charity that you love?

I really love the work of Habitat for Humanity. They are brilliantly aligned with YSM as we both provide a hand-up to people and families to break the cycle of poverty. The folks that Habitat helps are at the end of their poverty journey, ready to make the big step toward home ownership. Their model is one that empowers people and truly catapults their lives toward economic independence. YSM works to get them ready and Habitat takes them the rest of the way! I love that!

The post Charitable Choices: Angela Solomos of Yonge Street Mission appeared first on Toronto Guardian.

Last Tuesday saw the unveiling of yet another Toronto public art project in the Cabbagetown neighbourhood. The non-for-profit organization Yonge Street Mission (YSM) hosted a gathering in the parking lot of their Double Take Thrift Store at 310 Gerrard Street E. to celebrate a mural of hope and community.

The mural, which was commissioned by Double Take store manager Kathy Webster, is titled “Hope in the City,” and depicts the hope of citizens who are living in poverty in Toronto.

“We wanted to create something beautiful, something that the community would love, and something to convey what we’re doing here at Yonge Street Mission,” Webster said.

Locals and passersby in the Cabbagetown neighbourhood didn’t hesitate to join the celebration that offered free ice cream, face painting, a raffle, and entertainment from local dancer Fionna Gan and singer/songwriter Kaysun.

City councillor for Toronto Centre-Rosedale, Pam McConnell, was also present to help cut the light green ribbon for the mural’s official reveal.

Earlier this year, Webster and YSM’s mission administrative officer Paul Davidson, sent out a call for mural submissions. Local artists, Ryan Dineen and Jason Rouleau submitted their design after hearing about the project from a friend. Luckily, the two were chosen to paint their portrayal of “Hope in the City” outside Double Take for the public to admire.

The mural, which shows a series of hands reaching towards the sky, only took a week to complete, with supplies that were provided by YSM. “Each mural we create is just as important as the last,” Rouleau said. “But it’s an honour to have painted this because we grew up in this area.”

The creative duo took to the stage last Tuesday to read their artist statement to the crowd. “The Toronto Muralists design, ‘Hope in the City,’ was created for the Double Take Store mural, as a reflection of the diverse community in which dedicated volunteers and community work together to serving and bring support to those in need,” Rouleau read.

“If somebody who needs help walks by and sees the mural, they might think ‘Maybe this is a place that can help me,’” Webster concluded. “That’s our goal.”

To learn more about Yonge Street Mission and “Hope in the City,” visit www.ysm.ca.

The post Toronto Public Art – Unveiling “Hope in the City” appeared first on Toronto Guardian.